Real Salt Lake, LAFC Game Canceled After Multiple Sporting Event Boycotts

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Real Salt Lake’s home game against Los Angeles FC was canceled following multiple sporting events that weren’t played due to boycotts regarding the shooting of Jacob Blake.

RSL and LAFC were scheduled to play at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday, August 26.

“In solidarity with the players from both teams, tonight’s match has been canceled,” Real Salt Lake tweeted.

In solidarity with the players from both teams, tonight's match has been canceled. pic.twitter.com/ryxJhrVTk6

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) August 27, 2020

The match was one of MLS contests on Wednesday night that were canceled as part of a movement to bring awareness to racial injustice.

“The entire Major League Soccer family is deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless shooting of Jacob Blake and events in Kenosha. We continue to stand with the Black community throughout our country – including our players and employees – and share in their pain, anger and frustration,” the league said in a statement. “MLS unequivocally condemns racism and has always stood for equality, but we need to do more to take tangible steps to impact change. We will continue to work with our players, our clubs and the broader soccer community to harness our collective power to fight for equality and social justice.”

Later on Wednesday night, the players’ union released a statement in support of the players’ decisions to not play.

“The MLSPA stands with the decision made by players — and with those made by players in other leagues — not to play tonight in protest of systemic racial injustice, the latest example of which is the horrific shooting of Jacob Blake,” the MLSPA said in a statement. “Some thing are far more important than sports. Change must happen and athletes are committed to leading the way.”

pic.twitter.com/p0ZTulaplb

— MLSPA (@MLSPA) August 27, 2020

Prior to the originally scheduled match, both teams took the field and posed in unity for a photograph.

Powerful moment between #RSL & #LAFC – Game Cancelled. #MLS https://t.co/hddJRGQQCE pic.twitter.com/YIH8wbwSDp

— Brian Dunseth (@BrianDunseth) August 27, 2020

More than an hour before the scheduled kickoff, RSL announced a sellout crowd of 5,000 fans.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

5,000 strong at the RioT tonight

A post shared by Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) on Aug 26, 2020 at 4:01pm PDT

The match would have been RSL’s first at Rio Tinto Stadium in 172 days.

Real Salt Lake entered Wednesday with a 2-3-1 record this season.

LAFC arrived in Utah with an identical record through six matches.